The Sky Cannot Fall
by bg3929
Summary: Just when things are at their worst, a mysterious stranger shows up on the Bus and opens the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to a world even they never believed could be real and a secret is revealed that rocks the team (and a certain magical family) to it's core. Takes place at the end of T.R.A.C.K.S. and Post- Forever Charmed. (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D./ Charmed crossover)
1. Chapter 1

The Sky Cannot Fall

summary: Just when things are at their worst, a mysterious stranger shows up on the Bus and opens the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to a world even they never believed could be real. Takes place at the end of T.R.A.C.K.S..

I : Coulson couldn't help but feel sick as he stared down at her pale face. Quinn's words were ringing loud in his ears. /i/_ You know Agent Coulson, it is dangerous to keep sending her in like that, all alone when she means so much to you./i _He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms so hard he thought they would bleed. He almost laughed at the irony. The last thing anyone on this plane needed at the moment was more spilled blood.

One of Coulson's greatest regrets in life was that he hadn't got the chance to raise a family. Sometimes, in his loneliest moments, he would picture his life as it could have been. Recently though, those faceless children had been replaced with a bubbly, spunky little brunette full of sass and computer skill. Sometimes she had siblings. A stoic and overprotective but caring older brother, and twins, a boy and a girl, who enjoyed anything and everything science. Coulson knew logically that forming this kind of bond with his co-workers might cause him to become reckless on occasion, but it was worth it in the end. He grit his teeth bitterly. Apparently he had leaned on her too much, put too much pressure on her, given her shoes that she just wasn't ready to fill. '_Enough' _he growled mentally. '_Reality won't change just because you blame yourself.' _However, all his musings couldn't change what he believed; Skye was dying. And it was all his fault.

Hours passed, and everyone but Coulson had headed off to bed to pretend to get some sleep. Jemma lay wide awake in her bunk trying to keep down the bile that rose in her throat every time she pictured her closest female friend. Eventually she made her way to her partner's room and silently slid into his arms. Not a word was spoken, yet Simmons could feel Fitz's pain. She could see how red his eyes were from crying. Drawing comfort from being each other's arms, Fitzsimmons clung together, wishing they could just stay there forever and that all the world's problems would just disappear. After punching the sandbag until his hands were raw and swollen, Ward showered before returning to his quarters. He sat on his bed with his head in his hands, staring despairingly at the floor and wondering how the hell he could have let this happen. A picture of his team hung on the wall beside him. It had been Skye's idea to take it, and Fitzsimmons had soon jumped on the bandwagon. The three of them were standing in front of Lola, smiling and wrapping their arms around each other. Coulson was in Lola's driver's seat, wearing his sunglasses and attempting to look cool. May was in the passenger's seat, a tiny smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Grant himself was leaning against the hood, smiling fondly at the geeky trio before him as Skye and Simmons simultaneously gave Fitz a wet willy. Ward had been extremely fond of the photo since it had been presented to him by an exited Skye, but now it only seemed to mock him, a ghost of the happiness that was and may never be again. For her part, May was sitting in the cockpit, gripping the steering wheel so tight her knuckles were white and willing the damn plane to go faster. Yet the team leader remained at his youngest team member's side, keeping up a silent vigil and begging with every fiber of his being that Skye would be alright. Around midnight, Coulson was brought out of his desolate and self-depreciating daze by a strange tinkling sound coming from behind his righthand side. He spun around to face the noise, drawing his gun from its holster and leveling at the source of the disturbance.

"Are yo- Woah buddy I'm here to help!"

Coulson didn't budge. "Who are you and how the hell did you get on this plane!?"

The woman sighed and Coulson could tell that she had been in this kind of situation before. He was also surprised that she didn't seem to be at all afraid of him or intimidated by his gun.

"My name is Paige Matthews and I'm here to help Skye."

Coulson's lip curled upward in a snarl and he instinctively moved so that his body was directly between Skye and the stranger. Her knowledge made him uneasy. "You didn't answer my second question."

The woman across from him seemed about to roll her eyes when she thought better of it. "It's a really long story, and right now we don't have time for stories. I promise I'll tell you everything once I've healed Skye."

The back of Coulson's neck prickled and he had to work to suppress the tiny seed of hope that had taken root in his gut. "I'm going to ask you one more time. How did you get on this plane?" he paused, unlocking his gun's safety. "Answer or I'll put a bullet in you."

Even Coulson had to admit that he sounded like a madman, but at this point he was too physically and emotionally exhausted. However, to his surprise, the woman just sighed.

"For God's sake, _Gun_!" Coulson's eyes widened when he watched helplessly as his gun dematerialized from his hand in a swirl of blue lights and almost simultaneously appeared in the hand of the woman. She held it somewhat carelessly, but he tell from her body language that she was wary of the object. Coulson just watched as she placed it down on the table next to her, her eyes never leaving his. Defeated, he let his body relax. He was no match for someone like her. At this point, all he wanted was to wake up and to have this whole day to have been nothing but a nightmare. If he were being honest with himself, he was beginning to feel like this stranger was Skye's only hope. _Besides, _he mused _if she'd wanted me dead, I would be already_. Coulson eyed her warily, but he stepped aside and allowed her access to the comatose girl behind him.

"Fine." he stated eventually "do what you will."

The woman, Paige, nodded as she stepped forward, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I may not be an empath, but I can tell you really care for her."

Not even attempting to delve into the woman's hopefully but unlikely to be cryptic language, Coulson swallowed before replying. "Yes. She… she's like a daughter to me." The woman smiled warmly.

"I promise, she'll be ok." The woman paused, her hands hovering over the glass barrier between Skye and the outside world.

"Can you open this thing?" Silently, the senior agent reached out a shaky hand and unlocked the chamber that had thus far kept Skye alive.

* * *

Jemma's eyes snapped open when heard the alarm go off. She leapt up and spun around, shaking her bedmate awake.

"Fitz. FItz! Someone opened the hypobaric chamber!" The tech expert bolted upright, almost hitting his head on the ceiling of his bunk. Grabbing her still foggy friend by the collar, Simmons raced out to the living room. She stopped short when she caught sight of what was going on. A woman was standing over Skye, her back turned to the new arrivals. Her hands hovered over the comatose woman, and her hands were emitting a strange glow. But what scared Simmons most was that Coulson was just standing there a few feet away, watching the spectacle with an anxious but hopeful look on his face. Coming to his senses Fitz's eyes almost popped out of his head

"What the bloody hell-" Fitz stopped short when her saw a movement from inside Skye's chamber. He heard a mumble, followed by a weak, groggy voice.

"What's going on?"

Tears welled in Simmon's eyes, which surprised her, for she hadn't thought she'd had any left. Still dragging Fitz behind her, the mousey-haired scientist raced foreword to get a better look at her friend. Her eyes raked Skye in an attempt to examine her injury, but was absolutely dumbfounded when there was none. Even the blood from around the wound was gone, and if it wasn't for the gaping hole in the hacker's shirt, Jemma wouldn't have even known she had been injured. All the biochemist could do was stare at her friend's stomach and stutter. Skye, she noticed, was having a very similar reaction. The young agent to be was running her hand over the spot her bullet wound had just been, staring in wonderment and utter disbelief. Suddenly, she snapped her gaze up toward her savior.

"How did you… What did you… Is this real?" Paige smiled warmly down at the girl.

"Yep. Here, let me help you out of there. I know from experience that waking up from near-death in a glass coffin can be disorienting." Skye blinked in confusion but nonetheless took the hand the older woman had offered her.

"Th-thanks." she stuttered, trying to remember how exactly she had gotten back to the bus. The last thing she remembered was Quinn pulling the trigger… Her memories of the events that took place just before her shooting flooded back, and she turned to Coulson, with a wild look on her face.

"Mike Peterson is alive!"


	2. Chapter 2

Two~

As soon as Skye had gotten to her feet, Jemma had launched herself at her friend and was now sobbing into her shoulder. After a few seconds of hesitation, Fitz too joined in on the hug. Coulson, however, was still standing back and staring at Paige. He kept glancing at Skye, but was afraid to touch her for fear she was nothing but an illusion. After a moment of silence to steady his voice, Coulson turned to address his agents.

"Fitzsimmons, go and get May and Ward. I'm sure they'll want to see this."

Reluctantly, the scientific duo untangled themselves from Skye and began to make their way to find their other teammates. They frequently glanced back over their shoulders to make sure that everything they'd just been through had actually happened. That Skye was alive. That Skye was _perfectly fine. _

As soon as Fitzsimmons had disappeared, Coulson wrapped and arm around Skye, pulling her in tight and placing a kiss on the top of her head. Both comforted and surprised, Skye returned the affection with a nearly bone-crunching hug. After what felt like a lifetime, but was really only a few seconds, Skye tilted her face upward to meet the eyes of her leader.

"Did you hear what I said? Mike is alive! He's being controlled by Quinn and the Clairvoyant!" Coulson nodded and squeezed Skye's arm affectionately.

"Don't worry, I heard you. I'm just waiting for the rest of the team before we discuss anything." The veteran agent shifted his

gaze so he was looking directly at Paige. "And we have _a lot _to discuss."

* * *

Jemma's mind was racing. Skye was alive! Gone was the icy claw of anxiety and terror that had gripped her stomach the second she'd heard Coulson call out to her at the mansion, his very tone revealing the grave nature of Skye's condition. But she was still bursting with questions. Who was the strange woman? How had she gotten on the Bus? What had she done to fix Skye? Why had Coulson trusted her? Jemma's brilliant Biochemist brain was buzzing, frantically trying to come up with answers. Yet she always seemed to come to the same conclusion: she had no idea. Pushing aside the puzzle for now, Simmons reveled in the joy she felt knowing that everything was at last ok. She had watched in awe as Skye had stood, totally uninjured. She had felt the warmth of Skye's skin and felt her chest expanding and contracting, albeit with a bit of difficulty thanks to the bear hug the scientists had enveloped her in. She had felt Skye's heart beating steady and strong. Jemma couldn't help the gush of warm tears that blurred her vision at the thought. _Skye was ok_! With a deep but shaky breath, Jemma let go of her worry and pushed open the door to the cockpit so to share with Agent May the joyous news.

* * *

When May saw the tears running down Simmons' face she couldn't help but think the worst. Feeling as if the plane had just taken a sudden drop, the skilled pilot ground her teeth in an attempt to keep her emotions under control.

"Is she dead?" asked the older agent quietly, her monotone voice in complete contrast with her true emotions.

To her great surprise, the young scientist let out a laugh.

"No, Melinda, she's _fine_. This… this woman is here and she _healed _her." May's eyebrow arched in shock, but she just stared at Simmons and silently urged her to continue. "It was incredible! She placed her hands over the wound and they _glowed_! There isn't even a scar!'

Without saying a word, May quickly typed a sequence into the aircraft's control panel and rose to follow the nearly bouncing Simmons back to the living room. Wary of the situation and trying to figure out what exactlywas going on, May fingered her gun absently. However, whatever madness was going on, there was one thing of which she was absolutely certain: she was hoping like hell that Skye was really ok.

* * *

As he strode down the hall to his friend's room, Fitz attempted to get a grip on what he had seen. Of all the incredible technology he had seen during his time with S.H.I.E.L.D., he had _never _seen anything that could accomplish what the strange woman had just done. Scientifically, what had happened wasn't even possible. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't come up with a good explanation of what he had seen. Shaking his head, he tried to brush off his thoughts of the fantastical tales of creatures and spirits his mother had whispered to him as she tucked him into bed at night. They were simply ridiculous. There was no such thing as magic.

Ward's head shot up when her heard the tentative knock at his door. It had to be Fitz or Simmons, as the other three would have simply barged in. Grant's heart panted as he though of Skye, but he pushed down his emotions for now. He had to be strong for his team.

"Come in."

When Fitz walked into the room Ward couldn't help but be confused. Though the young man still seemed like he was thinking about something, all the tension seemed to have left his body. The technician appeared as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked downright happy!

"What's going on Leo?" questioned the field agent hesitantly. The scotsman just grinned.

"Come and see for yourself. I honestly don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

Tired of Fitz's vague and ambiguous attitude, Grant sprung to his feet and briskly began to make his way toward the living room.

In the hallway the boys met up with May and Simmons. The brilliant Brit was nearly bouncing with joy, and even May seemed to be in a better mood. Ward just couldn't understand what had happened to make everyone so happy. However, a few seconds later when he entered the living room, he did. He could almost hear the whoosh of air that exited his lungs when he caught sight of Skye. Standing. Unsupported. Unhurt. Despite his usually frigid exterior, Grant couldn't help the tears that sprung to his eyes.

"Skye." he breathed, practically dashing forward and scooping her up in an embrace. Fitzsimmons grinned broadly, while May stood off to the side, her gaze fixed on something behind Skye. At first Ward didn't know what, but after he (reluctantly) released Skye from his grasp he caught sight of the stranger in their midst.

"Who the hell are you?"

Coulson nodded in agreement. "I think it's time for you to explain yourself, Ms. Matthews"

Paige sighed, knowing she had a long day ahead of her, especially with a crowd as inquisitive as federal agents.


	3. Chapter 3

three ~

Staring at the expectant faces before her, Paige was at a complete loss for where to begin.

"Why don't we all sit down. This is going to take a while…"

The field agents eyed the strainer suspiciously, and Ward was still standing _very _close to Skye, prepared to jump to her defense at any second. He wouldn't let her get hurt again. Never taking his eyes off of Paige, Coulson obliged her request and sat down in an armchair. Reluctantly, the other agents followed suit, thought the air was still charged with tension. Now that the immediate jubilation over Skye's miraculous discovery had somewhat settled down, the highly trained investigators were now coming to question how exactly she had been saved and who, or what, this mysterious savior was.

Deciding to just start with pertinent information and go from there, Paige stopped her nervous fidgeting and began to address the group.

"Like I said earlier, my name is Paige Matthews. I'm a whitelighter." she paused, gauging the group's reaction. Nothing. "Well, half whitelighter. It's my job to look after charges, guide them, advise them, heal them when necessary, and generally help them to fight evil and serve the greater good. Think of me as sort of a… guardian angel."

At that May couldn't help but roll her eyes. " Great. But what does that have to do with Skye?"

Paige sighed inwardly. '_Great, just great. A tough crowd."_

_"_I'm getting to that. Recently, I was assigned Skye as my charge."

If anyone was shocked, they hid it well. Expecting another snide remark, Paige was surprise when the hacker herself spoke up.

"But why? Is this about my parents? Do you know where I came from?"

Paige's heart went out to the girl. Paige couldn't imagine what she was feeling. When Paige had found out that she was different, she had had her sisters (and even some of her dead relatives) there to explain it all to her. Paige had found family and known what she was at almost the same instant she came into her powers. Skye had no such advantage.

"Sorry, but I don't know. All the Elders told me was that you traveled a lot because of your job with S.H.I.E.L.D., had a background in hacking, and that you grew up in the foster system."

Skye's face immediately fell, and Ward placed a comforting and protective arm around her. He was unsettled by how much this stranger knew.

"How do you know that? And what are 'the Elders'?!"

Paige winced slightly. Now they were beginning to get into unbelievable territory.

"They're a group of elevated whitelighters who watch over the world and ensure that the balance of good and evil stays on the side of good."

That statement earned skeptical looks, and May had to stop herself from snorting. However, it was Coulson who spoke up.

"Right. And where exactly can we find these 'Elders'" stated the team leader snarkily, placing air quotes around the term 'Elders'.

Grimacing, Paige tried to come up with a way to phrase her reply without sounding crazy. She knew from experience how absolutely insane all this sounded to someone without any experience in the matter.

"Um… It's kinda hard to explain. They're in almost a different dimension. You can only get there by orbing. We usually just refer to it as 'up there'"

Coulson frowned. He'd had enough with beings from other dimensions. The problems with the Asgardians and those they brought to Earth had been enough for him, and he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to handle _another _powerful inter-dimensional race without losing his mind. Coulson was about to ask if Paige had had any contact with the godlike race when Simmons beat him to it with a question of her own.

"What's orbing?"

Paige smiled in relief. At least she could give some proof at this point. Disappearing in a swirl of blue-white lights, the Charmed one reappeared moments later behind the curious scientist.

"This."

Simmons jumped and, along with everyone else, whirled around to face the mysterious woman. Paige allowed herself a smirk before she continued.

"It's a whitelighter and elder power. It allows me to teleport to anywhere in the world, as well as up there and, um… other places"

Paige sighed as she noticed that two of the agents had their guns trained on her."I also can use another form of robing due to my other half, but I'd rather spare you the shock." she paused and smiled at Coulson. "I gave your leader quite a scare earlier."

The field agents gave Coulson a skeptical look. The team leader nodded, and looked slightly embarrassed.

"She uh, took my gun."

Ward raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You let her get the jump on you?"

Coulson rolled his eyes.

"It's not like had much of a choice."

Ward laughed, and Paige met Coulson's gaze. He gave an almost imperceptible nod, and a glimmer of mischief appeared in Paige's eye.

"Gun!"

Coulson laughed at the dumbfounded looks on the faces of his team, especially that of Ward, whose eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head as he watched his gun disappear. May's jaw twitched and she unconsciously gripped her gun tighter. Ward only sputtered, and Fitz stepped toward Paige, placing himself between her and Simmons.

"You said that power came from your other half… What are you?"

Paige sighed. Despite everything she'd already revealed, this secret was the one she was most apprehensive about telling. Taking a breath to steady her nerves, Paige replied with the truth.

"I'm a witch."

Just after she finished speaking, there was a loud crash. May's eyes widened and she sprinted for the cockpit.

"We've been hit!"


	4. Chapter 4

psa: i will try my best to update on fridays once school starts again.

four~

The scene on the bus was complete pandemonium, but for the moment at least, Paige's revelation had been forgotten. May was doing all she could to avoid being hit, and Skye was attempting to find out what exactly the threat was. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, bolstered by adrenaline, and the rest of the plane practically held their breath as they waited for the hacker's findings.

"There's… planes. They look like Quinn's design, and here's five of them. We're surrounded!"

Coulson frowned deeply.

"I don't understand, they've never attacked us outright like this before."

A grim silence, save for the jolts and explosions from the impacts of the other aircrafts' assault, dominated the room. Hesitantly, Simmons spoke up.

"Something must have happened that made them change their minds."

Paige looked down guiltily and played with the rug with the toe of her shoe.

"It has to be me. You said your bad guy was called the Clairvoyant, so that indicates some kind of magic. If he found out through his powers that you now had the Charmed Ones on your side, he would do everything he could to stop you from teaming up with us, no matter how risky."

This statement earned Paige faces ranging from blank to doubtful. Fitz, however, seemed like he wanted to say something. After glancing Paige up and down, he decided to voice his thoughts.

"You said you were a witch, a 'Charmed One'. I don't know about the rest of you, but that sounds like something my mum used to tell me in her fairy stories. What are you really?"

Paige rolled her eyes.

"I swear I'm telling the truth. And you'd be surprised how much truth those so called 'fairy stories' have to them."

"Come on, you expect us to believe you're a witch? I mean, aliens, sure, but _witches?"_

The whitelighter was about to retort with an especially snarky reply, even for her, when the Bus lurched heavily and the largest explosion so far boomed along the side of the aircraft.

"We can't take much more!" Yelled May from the pilot's seat, her voice uncharacteristically panicked. Putting aside her argument for when they were safe, Paige wracked her brain for a spell that would allow them all to be saved. Paige knew if worst came to worst she could orb out with whoever she could grab, but she wanted to avoid casualties as much as possible, and maybe even save the plane. One spell came to mind, but Paige wasn't entirely sure it would work. Then again, Piper _had _made the entire manor disappear using it. But this was even bigger, and there was more at stake. Unsure whether she had enough power on her own, Paige grabbed on to Skye's arm, hoping the hacker had some kind of magic within her that the experienced witch could tap in to. Hoping for the best, Paige took a deep breath and began to recite the spell.

_"Let the object of objection become but a dream_

_as I cause the seen to be unseen!"_

* * *

The effects of the spell were evident immediately. Instead of seeing the somewhat homey living room before her, there was only dark clouds and sky as far as Paige's eyes could reach. Upon the vessels attacking S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mobil unit, the view was much the same.

"Sir!" called one of the pilots anxiously "They're gone!"

After a string of growled swears on the other end of the radio, the pilot received the order to fall back, which he quickly passed on to his comrades. Soon, the attacking quintet was out of sight, and Paige let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

The witch was the only one relieved. Not only had the plane disappeared, but so too had the passengers. Simmons felt her lungs become lead when her view became nothing but the sky. She slammed her eyes shut and lay flat on the ground, reminding herself in every way she could that there was something solid beneath her. She was _not _falling to her death. At least, not this time. Never again.

It was lucky for everyone that May was such a good pilot. She had trained so much that she could basically fly blindfolded if need be. And that was essentially what she did. To say that May was surprised when The plane and everything on it disappeared would be a gross understatement. However, thanks to her experience in… strange… occurrences, the agent had only a moment of panic before instinct took over. She kept the aircraft steady, and was both shocked and relieved when the bombardment of the Bus ceased. Her reaction greatened as she watched the attacking group leave, not daring to even blink until they were nothing but specks on the horizon. May allowed herself to relax slightly, and she began to mentally calculate the nearest place to land. Although, at this point, she had no idea how she was going to do it.

When everything disappeared, Grant gripped the back of the sofa so hard his knuckled turned white. At least they would have been if they were visible. His mind raced like the Kentucky Derby, but he couldn't come up with anything to say. Recent events flashed through hid mind, and his head turned to stare at Paige, or at least the direction in which he had last seen her. Was it really possible that the strange woman had done this? Despite everything he'd seen, Ward still wasn't ready to come to terms with the fact that _magic, _of all things, was real. Instead, he closed his eyes and prayed to any deity that would listen that they would all make it through this crazy day alive.

For Fitz's part, he could do nothing but stand and stare. _Was this actually happening? Were all the stories true? Was he being saved by _**magic**_? _The tech just couldn't fathom this entirely new realm of reality. He'd heard of Asgardian tech and magic, sure. But that was based on science. This woman had just chanted a few words and an entire _plane and its occupants _had disappeared. However, all of those thoughts flew out of his mind when he heard the 'thud' beside him. His heart felt like it had dropped into his stomach. He knew immediately what, or rather who, it was. Of course she would be terrified, the memory of her heroic jump still fresh in her mind. Bending down, he reached out his hand and found Simmons' hair. Stroking it softly, he began talking to her in hushed and soothing tones, trying to bring her out of her state of panic.

At this point, Agent Coulson had given up on being surprised. After aliens, giant green experiments gone wrong, a patriotic hero surviving on ice for over half a century, and coming back from the dead, the experienced ager had doubted that _anything _could surprise him anymore. He had been wrong. It had begun when the mysterious stranger had appeared on the plane, and had only risen from there. Now, invisible and standing on an invisible plane, Coulson could only muster one thought: _Who was this woman?_

When Skye felt the hand on her arm, she had no time to react before the woman beside her began chanting. A strange, warm tingle flooded her body, the current of it racing to the point where the older woman was grasping her bicep. The sensation ended all to soon, when the woman, Paige, ended her chant. Skye had then found herself blinking, not believing what her eyes were seeing. Or rather, _weren't _seeing. Had she, an orphaned and rebellious young freelance hacker with a checkered and mysterious past, helped to do this? Was _this _what she really was? Skye didn't know much of this for sure, but what she _did _know was that she would find out the truth about herself if she stuck with Paige and the mysterious power that she ad felt when her savior had cast the spell

**Author's Note: Sorry about the lack of action, but I wanted to show the mindset of all the characters before we really get into things!**


	5. Chapter 5

**~five~**

For a while nobody spoke. They were terrified to even move for fear their attackers would return. Eventually, it was Paige who spoke up. After letting sighing in relief of her spell's success, the experienced witch addressed the group.

"Is everyone all right?"

Reactions varied greatly among the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. Ward remained in denial, his mind desperately grasping at the fringes of a theory where he was still unconscious after falling off of the train and the day's events after that point had all been nothing but a dream. Hell, he'd be o.k. with being in a coma as long as it meant Skye hadn't gotten hurt. Simmons was still laying on the floor, blocking out the world and staving off a panic attack. The biochemist hadn't even heard Paige's question. Ever loyal to his partner, Fitz remained crouched above the downed agent. His response was to nod dumbly, not realizing that the whitelighter couldn't see him. May was out of hearing range, and Coulson's reply vocalized the team's general sentiment.

"What did you just do?!"

Out of habit, Paige smiled reassuringly.

"I just cast a little vanishing spell. I'll reverse it in a few minutes when I'm sure we aren't being followed."

It was at that moment May had finally managed to locate the intercom.

"Coulson, the nearest airport is in Toledo. Do you want me to head that way and request a landing?"

The leading agent paused for a moment to think. '_What the hell!' _He mused genially. At this point, he was beyond done with attempting to understand the situation. As far as strange cases went, he thought that this might even be worse than New Mexico. Shrugging, the agent raised his voice so that his reply would carry.

"Go ahead. We should be visible by the time we get into their airspace We can arrange repairs and a ride back to HQ from there."

At that, Paige spoke up in protest.

"Sorry, but I think it's best if I take you guys back to the manor. You will be safe there while my sisters and I figure out what the deal is with this 'Clairvoyant' guy and how to vanquish him."

Quirking an invisible eyebrow, Ward snapped out of his delusion and returned to agent mode.

"What's 'the manor'? Is it your witchy base or something? And what exactly do you mean by 'vanquish'?"

Deciding to go for broke and trust these people with her family's secret, Paige's tone was confident as she explained her statement.

"Kind of. It's a house that has been in my family for generations. It used to sit atop a magical nexus, but we uh… ended up destroying it in a battle and blowing up the house."

A surprised house came from the direction of the scientific duo, but Paige continued.

"Anyways, It's always sort of been the base of my family's magical activity, and it houses our most prize possession: the Book of Shadows."

"Spooky" snarked Ward "but that still doesn't answer my second question."

Paige huffed in annoyance. "I was getting to that. The Book is so special because it contains all my family's magical knowledge since it was begun around the time of the Salem Witch Trials. It contains spells, potions, and information on all the evil beings we've encountered. Odds are, the Clairvoyant will be in the book, and it will tell us how to get rid of him once and for all."

Ward cleared his throat, trying to take in all of this information.

"You… I…" The agent pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to pull himself together enough to be coherent. Coulson beat him to it.

"Do you mean you're going to kill him, because I can't let you do that, no matter how I feel personally."

Paige let out a hot puff of air in frustration as she tried to come up with a way to explain it that wouldn't get her arrested.

"You can't really kill a demon. They only get sent to the demonic plane. They lose all their power and can't return to this world for a long time, usually somewhere from decades to centuries."

A tense silence dominated the air.

"Who the bloody hell said anything about _demons_?!" growled Fitz, who had thus far remained silent since Paige had cast the spell. The youngest Charmed one rolled her eyes at the hostility in his voice. So far, it seemed, this young man had been the one least willing to accept her presence and explanations.

"That's the kind of evil we fight. Demons, warlocks, evil spirits; you name it, we've fought it. Good witches like myself and my sisters use our powers to protect innocents like you from being harmed and killed. Based on what I've heard so far, your 'Clairvoyant' sounds like an upper level demon. He could be a warlock, but most don't have the kind of power or organization that your guy seems to have. Most warlocks work alone or in small groups. They're too competitive and greedy for power to have such long term and large-scale plans. But I digress."

There was another pause as the team took a moment to absorb the new information. They were a bit awed by the woman, to be honest. She spoke with such knowledge and certainty on the topics they'd believed to be mythical, and she obviously possessed some kin of power that they couldn't begin to comprehend.

"So what you're saying that there is basically a war going on out there between good and evil that we're totally unaware of, and that the Clairvoyant is part of that, as well as you, your family, and probably Skye?" Asked Coulson tentatively. He was beginning to feel like a rookie agent all over again.

Paige smiled in relief. At last someone was beginning to grasp the situation.

"Yes. Whitelighters' charges always have a role to play in this fight, whether they be witches or future whitelighters."

Paige smiled in the direction off Skye, though nobody could see. "But I expect that your teammate is magical. I tapped into her power to help me cast the spell, so now I'll enlist her help again when I reverse it."

Coulson's eyebrows shot up. What exactly did that mean for his agent? Reaching out and once again placing her hand on Skye's upper arm.

_Let the Object of Objection return,_

_So that its existence may be reaffirmed_

Just as suddenly as it had vanished, the plane, its contents, and its passengers became visible once more. Everyone blinked several times, their vision readjusting to the plane's light (and existence). Fitz reached down and gently shook his partner's shoulder.

"Jemma, you can open your eyes now. The Bus is back."

Hesitantly, the biochemist opened her eyes, which had been squeezed tightly shut for the past ten minutes or so. When they revealed to her a carpet and Fitz's shoes, she let out a shaky sigh of relief and began to sit up.

"A little warning next time would be great, yeah?"

Paige chuckled at the brit's statement an turned her gaze to Skye. The girl had been totally silent since the spell had been cast, and he whightlighter was beginning to get concerned. Squeezing the hacker's arm to grab her attention from staring off into space, Paige expressed her gentle concern.

"Hey, are you ok?"

Sky blinked rapidly for a few seconds before turning to face her savior.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine." The hacker flashed what she hoped to be a reassuring grin, but the witch saw right through it. Before she could press the girl for more, however, she was distracted by Agent May's voice coming from overhead.

"Touchdown in 15 minutes"

**Author's Note: Thank's so much for reading, and for the wonderful reviews! This chapter was probubally a bit tedious, but fret not; action is coming soon! Up next: Meeting the sisters, plus a few family shenanigans! : )**


	6. Chapter 6

After much argument, it was decided that Quinn would indeed be handed over to the S.H.I.E.L.D. team that was set to meet them at the airport. There was a passionate argument from the team, who wanted to ensure that the "scumbag" (Ward's term) got exactly what was coming to him. However Paige was able to convince them otherwise. How were they supposed to come with her to the manor if there was a prisoner? The logic softened them up the slightest degree, but what _really _convinced them was Paige's insistence that she could access him at any time. She even shared some funny anecdotes of the times she and her family members had gotten arrested and still gotten out and saved the day without being detected. Ward argued that there was a **huge **difference in the security of a police station and a S.H.I.E.L.D. containment facility. Everyone was surprised when it was Skye who vocalized her support of Paige's plan.

"You know I could hack the video feed and whatever other methods they have to monitor him."

She had spoken softly, so softly that the team almost didn't hear her. Coulson turned toward his youngest agent, a mix of pity, sadness, and pride etched in his features.

"Are you sure? You know we'll make sure he'll pay…"

Skye smiled sadly. "I'm sure. Scum like that isn't worth our time. Besides, we have bigger fish to fry." Her lips twitched upward in a quirky grin. "Plus, I want to learn more about the bastard who's behind all this."

Sighing, Coulson relented.

"All right. I'll arrange the meet. You and Paige should lay low while they're around. For all they know, you're still dying and witches don't exist."

* * *

About half an hour later, Paige found herself awkwardly standing in the limited space of Skye's quarters while the young agent herself was sprawled on her bed typing away on her computer. The witchlighter couldn't help but smile. She was so glad that she'd made it in time to save Skye's life. The hacker glanced up and caught the older woman staring at her. Skye smled tightly without showing her teeth.

"Can I help you?"

Paige blushed. "I, uh, I'm glad that I was able to save your life."

The younger woman sighed, her eyes wide and sincere. "I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am that you healed me…"

Paige flashed a smile as she caught on to her charge's sentiment. "But?"

Skye sighed again. "Are you _sure _you don't know anything about my parents."

Paige bit her lip. "Look, I know how you feel."

The hacker's gaze snapped up, but Paige continued before the younger woman could interrupt.

"My parents gave me up at birth. I'd always wondered about them, why they left me, who I was. I also loved my adoptive parents, but I always felt like there was something out there I was missing. After my adoptive died, I went to a bad place. But I also started searching for my birthparents. I even got as far as going to a club I thought could be owned by a sister of mine. But I never acted, was never sure. Then, one day, I had this urge to go to a funeral. The woman was Prue Halliwell and I was to find out later that she was killed by a demon after saying her sister's lives. I was drawn to the funeral because that sister, Piper, was a witch, and she was trying everything to bring Prue back. She cast a spell to call a lost witch, but she replaced the word _witch _with _sister_. Instead of returning Prue from the dead, she ended up calling me, her younger half-sister who'd been given up at birth. Demons found out, came after me, and my sisters took me to the manor, where my powers were unbound and I reconstituted the Power of Three. From then on we worked as a team, saving innocent lives and sometimes the whole world from evil threats. We've become so close that I can hardly imagine my life without them."

Skye's eyes had grown wider and wider as the story had progressed. Paige could't help but empathize with the girl. Her life story was mad. After a moment of contemplation Paige cleared her throat, which had become thick with emotion.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that you can look for your family all you want, but they're gonna show up when you least expect it. It may not be what you dreamed of, but I promise you will know when it happens. You'll feel like you finally know yourself and what you are. You'll know why you were always so different. I'm so grateful to have found my place as a Halliwell, and I hope you get the chance to have a family half as wonderful as mine."

Paige had moved closer to Skye during her impassioned speech, and she squeezed the girl's arm in a friendly gesture that comforted them both. Each woman had tears shining in their eyes. Just then, there was a soft knock at the door followed by May's soft even voice.

"Quinn's gone. Coulson's ready for you to take us to the manor."

Winking at Skye, Paige straightened up and wiped at her eyes. "I hope you're ready to meet some witches."

* * *

Standing in the living room, Paige grasped the hands of May and Skye, who was in turn holding Fitz's bicep. The groups had been split as equally as possible, as Paige couldn't orb them all at once. The plan was to drop off the first group and immediately return for the second. Skye felt a thrill run up her spine. She couldn't wait for more magic. There was something about it that was simply exhilarating. Paige glanced around at her passengers and smiled reassuringly.

"Here goes nothing!"

* * *

When she felt solid ground beneath her again, Skye was relieved for a fraction of a second before the nasea and dizziness set in. She turned to question Paige, but the older woman was nowhere to be found. Glancing around, the hacker observed that she was in a rather homey, if not slightly tacky, living room. A floral couch was before her, and she gratefully sat down upon it's soft, deliciously unmoving surface. Off to her left she heard a groan, and saw that Fitz was doubled over and clutching his head. On her other side, May was standing in a defensive position and she looked like someone who had just ridden an extreme roller coaster and was now paying for it. Just when the three agents were getting their bearings, chimes sounded in the air as a waterfall of pale blue-white lights trailed downwards from the ceiling and materialized into Simmons, Ward, Coulson, and Paige. The senior field agent lost his balance and stumbled, knocking over a vase. Paige's eyes grew wide, and she froze when she heard footsteps upstairs. Just then, two more figures orbed in, taking the shape of two sleepy-looking young boys.

"Auntie Paige! It's only you! We thought there was a demon attacking!"

Paige frowned disapprovingly at her two nephews while the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents just stared. "Wyatt, Chris, I thought your parents told you to stay in bed when you heard noises downstairs."

The older blonde boy had the decency to look guilty. "We're sorry. We just wanted to help."

Paige's expression softened. She knew they were powerful enough to handle almost any demon, but her concern was that they hadn't developed their abilities enough to have control or know what to do. Plus, vanquishing demons was not an activity for children. She and her sisters had all agreed that they wanted their kids to have as normal lives as possible.

"I know honey, we just want you to be safe." Wyatt hung his head, and Paige turned her attention to Chris, who had a pensive look on his face. She knew he was the more cunning of the two, and she always had to be on her toes when he decided to argue with her. He could hold his own, despite his young age.

"Who are those people?" Asked the small brunette boy, his voice muffled by the blue blanket he was snuggling his face into. Paige was about to reply when two sets of running footsteps vibrated the ceiling and a breathless Piper and Leo appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Where's the demon?!" Yelled the eldest living Halliwell. Piper's eyes scanned the room wildly for an attacker, and her hands were raised and ready to react the second she saw something. Paige waived to get her sister's attention.

"Hey, sorry, no demons here. Just your number one baby sister who happens to have a new charge with her."

Piper narrowed her eyes suspiciously and took in the sights before her. For the first time she noticed her sons, who seemed to have shrunk back in an attempt to avoid detection. "Hey. Buddies." The boys sheepishly glanced up at their mother. "Bed. Now. I'll deal with you in the morning."

Nodding their heads, the boys disappeared in unison, presumably to their beds. Piper sighed and turned her attention to her sister. "All right Missy Paige, what have you gotten us into this time?"


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7.

Paige held her breath as she awaited her sister's response. She had explained the situation to the best of her ability, and hoped he sister would understand. Although, when she thought back over the past decade or so she began to get the feeling her new charge's companions would _not _be received well.

"You brought a group of _federal agents _to the manor?!" Piper's anger was almost palpable and Paige instinctively ducked. When Piper got upset, things tended to explode.

"They're not exactly _federal _agents. Apparently they operate al across the globe dealing with strange occurrences." This only caused Piper's glower to deepen.

"Right, how exactly do they 'deal with' these strange occurrences? For all we know they could be killing people, innocents, and forces of good magic!" Paige had no retort, so Piper continued her rant. "Besides, you know what happens when we try to work with law enfacement: they either try to arrest us, blackmail us, or end up like Agent Brody."

Paige flinched and balled her fists. From the savage look on her face, Piper knew she'd gone too far.

"That's _exactly_ what I'm trying to PREVENT! You know as well as I do that the Clairvoyant probably has evil magic n his side, if he's not using it himself. We may have fought our 'final battle' as the Charmed Ones, but this is bigger than just us. There are innocents getting hurt, and we have a duty to the world to stop this. Based on everything I have seen, these people are capable of defending themselves _and _would take on this guy with or without our help. Skye is my charge, and it's my duty to help her. The only question is whether I'll have my sisters by my side."

Piper let out a weary sigh. "Then I guess you'd better go get Phoebe."

With that, Paige nodded stiffly at her sister and orbed out.

* * *

At last Piper and Leo made their way down the stairs. The exasperated Charmed One turned her head to address the group of agents as she walked by them. "Follow me, I'll take you to the living room so that you can get comfortable. I have a feeling this is going to be a long day."

Thus far the S.H.I.E.L.D. team had remained silent, taking in the conflict that had unfolded before them. They had been surprised by the clash. Paige had made it sound like she and her sisters were extraordinarily close. May had regained her bearings quickly enough to notice Paige's flinch, and intended to ask her abut it later. In the meantime, she planned to steer clear of Piper.

Ever the leader, Coulson took the initiative to address their hosts first.

"Sorry about your vase."

Piper just waved her arm dismissively "Don't worry about it. I'm used to all of my furniture being destroyed by intruders by now."

This shut Coulson up and left the team wondering what exactly went on in this house. After a beat of silence, Leo attempted to change the subject. "So you guys are from an organization called S.H.I.E.L.D.? I've never heard of it."

Coulson shrugged. "Many people haven't. It was originally designed just after World War 2 as a U.S. organization, but later was actually sanctioned by the UN."

Leo laughed and smiled at his guests. "That explains it then."

By that time, they had reached the living room, but so far nobody had made a move to sit down. At questioning looks from his guests, Leo elaborated. "I died in 1942 while serving as a medic in the war." At that, the jaws of every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent dropped.

"You _what?!_" Exclaimed Simmons, her eyes round as saucers. Leo blinked.

"I was a whitelighter for over 60 years. I thought Paige had told you about that."

"Uh, no." Snarked Skye "She told me that she was my whightlighter and explained their duties and powers, but she neglected the minor detail that they have to _die _first." The hacker paused for a moment, her expression pensive. "Does that mean Paige is dead?"

Shaking his head, Leo easily slipped into his role of magical expert. "No. Like my children, Paige was born with the genes of a whitelighter already in her. She's had her powers since birth, though her witch abilities were bound. Her father Sam on the other hand, became a whitelighter through his good deeds and positive impact on the world and accepting his role after death." Leo smiled. "I'm probably the most knowledgeable person on this subject, since all whitelighter-charge relationships were strictly forbidden until Piper and I challenged the Elders for our right to be together." Piper squeezed her husband's arm affectionately and stood on her toes to give him a quick peck on the lips.

Since Leo's bombshell revelation, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team had once again remained silent. In the span of a few hours, Paige and her family were taking everything they had come to know about the universe and were turning it on their heads. These new insights resonated especially deeply with Coulson. If magic were capable of such feats, was it possible that it had been used to raise him fro the dead? The experience agent decided to find out more about his theory.

"Have you ever heard of anyone being killed and coming back to life soon after?"

Piper shrugged. "Sure, my sisters and I have died plenty of times." A haunted look ghosted across her face. "Coming back isn't always a guarantee though." Skye immediately knew what had caused the woman's pain and sent her what she hoped to be a comforting look. Coulson's mouth had become a thin, tight line. He was about to ask more questions when Paige suddenly orbed back into the room accompanied by a tall, thin, sleepy-looking woman. With a yawn, the new arrival surveyed the strangers who were awkwardly standing in her family home.

"There had better be a very good reason you people got me out of bed in the middle of the night." She joked. Paige rolled her eyes and Piper just laughed.

"Yeah well it's better than the wakeup call they gave me! I thought there was a demon in the house!"

Phoebe, sensing uneasiness from the strangers, took in their tense appearances and frowned. "You didn't blow anything up, did you?"

Piper scoffed. "No." Under her breath, she added "Not yet at least…"

Ignoring her sister's antics for now, she turned to address the wary agents. "I'm Phoebe, Phoebe Halliwell." Glancing at her sisters, who were still acting a bit frigid toward each other, she continued. "I heard you need some help. I-" Phoebe looked pointedly at her siblings "_WE _would be happy to help you in any way we can." Paige looked victorious whilst Piper pouted. Coulson nodded, his steady gaze meeting with that of the middle Halliwell sister. Phoebe returned the gesture. "Good, let's start from the beginning: tell me everything you know about this 'Clairvoyant'"


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8.

Just as Coulson opened his mouth to respond, half a dozen demons flamed into the room behind the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. "Get down!" bellowed Piper as she flicked her wrists, causing the demon closest to her to explode. Coulson, May and Ward all drew their weapons and shot their attackers in the chest, but to no avail. Skye, Fitz and Simmons attempted to dive behind the couch, but were caught in a hail of fireballs. One managed to graze Simmons on the arm, and the biochemist cried out in pain. Another volley of fireballs was directed at the field agents, who managed to roll out of the way in time to avoid injury.

"What the hell are these things!?" growled May from her spot crouched behind the coffee table. Coulson had dived into the hallway, while Ward was still standing and firing his weapon at the demons, but to no avail. When a fireball passed dangerously closely to his head, May rolled her eyes and roughly dragged him to the floor by his collar.

"Demons!" shouted Phoebe over the din, launching herself across the room while levitating 5' from the ground. Her aim was true, and the result was knocking one particularly tall demon out with a vicious kick to the head. Enraged, another demon hurled an energy ball directly at the back of the floating witch's head.

"Energy ball!" howled Paige, redirecting the offending attack back at the demon who'd launched it. With a scream of pain, the creature burst into flames.

Phoebe sent her younger sister a fleeting grateful look. "Thanks sis!" The empath paused, her eyes flicking toward the unconscious demon beneath her "Trap him!"

Understanding her sister's intensions, Paige nodded and called out "Crystals!" When the objects began to appear, she thrust her arm in the direction of her target and called "Circle!" When the white rocks were in place, Phoebe gently reached her hand out and made sure the trap was in place. Satisfied, she whipped around an launched herself back into battle.

While her two younger sisters had managed to take out two of the five remaining demons, Piper was left to face the other three. Settling her features into a snarl, Piper positioned herself between the attacking demons and her guests from S.H.I.E.L.D.. "It's been a while since I got to do this!" She spat, flicking her wrists several times in quick succession. One was a success, as the hit demon screamed in agony as he was consumed by flames. The other two demons, however, managed to dodge her attack and fire off two of their own. Once again, Piper flicked her hands out in front of her and the two fireballs froze in midair.

By this time, all there sisters were back in action.

"Fireballs!"shouted Paige, directing the frozen attacks back at their sourced. One flew true and destroyed its mark, but the other demon managed to flame out before he was struck. The fireball instead flew across the room, exploding against the wall and leaving a large black scorch mark. Piper stared at it and sighed.

"Damn. I just had that wallpaper redone."

* * *

One by one, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents emerged from their hiding spots. Each one was staring at the sisters with a new sense of respect. Noticing the way the young brit was favoring her arm, Paige dashed over to Simmons with a concerned look on her face. "Are you all right?" Grimacing, Simmons nodded. "I'm fine, It's just a graze…" Trailing off, Jemma removed her hand from her wound, revealing an angry red area about three inches long. Immediately, Paige's glowing hand reached up and hovered above the burn. Within seconds, it was healed. All Jemma could do was stare. It was one thing to briefly see Paige heal Skye from a distance, but it was another thing entirely to experience the sensation for herself. Once again, Simmons couldn't help but wonder at the abilities of the woman before her. Scientifically, this kind of thing was just not possible. However, Jemma was learning quickly that things she had once deemed impossible may actually be a reality.

Skye was staring at the sisters in confusion. "You're not… freaked out about this?"

Piper just shrugged. "Honestly, after all these years I've just gotten used to it." Addressing her husband she continued. "Honey, there's still some of that wallpaper left over right?" The former undercover handyman smiled and started off toward the basement.

"Yes dear."

Skye continued to eye the witches suspiciously. "But… Three demons just randomly appeared in your house and tried to kill you and you act like nothing happened!"

"Sweetie, We've been doing this for over 15 years. A little attack like that one is nothing to worry about." Phoebe smiled reassuringly at the hacker "At one point, we had attacks like that happen at least once a week."

Casting a sideways look at her sister, Paige spoke up. "Somehow, I doubt that attack was random."

Piper nodded her agreement. "Yeah. It seems like our theory about the Clairvoyant being demonic was right." Turning her attention to her guests, the oldest charmed one addressed them in a serious tone. "Make yourselves comfortable: I think it's time you told us everything you know about the Clairvoyant, for real this time."

**Note: I will be using the children/child names from the comics, but I will not be using comic story lines.**


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9.

With a sigh, Coulson took a seat on the couch, followed by the Halliwells and the rest of his team. Slowly, he began to recount the events of the past few months that had eventually led to Skye's shooting. As he spoke, Coulson found himself filled with many conflicting emotions. There was anger at his stupidity, love for his team, hate for his enemies, fear of danger, past, present, and future, as well as confusion over how all of this had even happened. Most of akk, he was curious to see what the sisters were going to make of it. Since the battle, Coulson had had a newfound respect for the three witches. Though Paige had healed Skye on the bus, he had seriously doubted that she was going to be able to help them with a threat as serious as the Clairvoyant and his hirelings. As he watched them dispatch their surprise enemies with ease, he was for the first time filled with a sense of hope that they could actually emerge victorious.

While Coulson was telling his tale, Phoebe took the chance to really look at (and sense) the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. She'd noticed right away that the two least combatant members of the room, Phoebe thought their names were Fitz and Simmons, were sticking together like glue. The duo had plopped down on the love-seat and Phoebe didn't need her powers to tell that they greatly cared for one another. The empath smiled gently as she watched the young man, FItz, fret over the site of Simmons' burn from the fireball. Clearly, the young man was still skeptical of the effectiveness and/or extent of Paige's ability. Phoebe couldn't help but be reminded of Piper and Leo and all the times they had worried over one another when one of them wad been hurt. Adding to the effect, Fitz was whispering things into Simmons' ear that were causing her to giggle and smack him in the shoulder with a half-serious half-joking exclamation of "Fitz!"

The other pair that caught Phoebe's keen romantic eye was Skye and Ward. The surly agent had positioned himself between Skye and the Halliwell family, his distrustful nature still causing him to be wary of the strangers. Phoebe couldn't blame him: danger seemed to be around every turn for the young hacker. The empath also sensed his love for the girl, though she was almost certain that he himself did not know the true nature of his feelings. Once again Phoebe's mind wandered to a familiar relationship, this time that of herself and her husband. At first she had hardened her heart, determined not to fall for someone and be hurt once again. But eventually Coop had wormed his way past her defensed, his endearing charm disarming her fortified heart. There had been more than one close call on her life, and when it was revealed that they could indeed be together, their love had gushed out like a flood. Even after years of marriage and the births of their children, she and Coop were still as deeply in love, if not mores, as when they had first admitted it to themselves and gotten together. Phoebe swallowed, turning her mind from the x-rated place she knew it was headed. Focusing back on the pair before her, Phoebe wished for them future happiness and blissful marriage similar to her own.

To Phoebe, Coulson's emotions were an open book. She felt them shift and change as he told his story, but she pushed them aside. She would leave it to her sisters to decide his trustworthiness. The only member of the team that Phoebe was having a hard time pinning down was May. The agent had refused the offer for a seat, opting instead to stand by the door and keep watch, her keen eyes ever searching and scanning for threats. Hard as she tried, all of Phoebe's empathetic advanced were met with what felt like a thick steel wall. Impressed Phoebe couldn't help but wonder if the mysterious woman had encountered empaths before and had purposely put up a resistance, or if she was just naturally hostile and shutting out any and all emotions she deemed distracting or unhelpful to the mission. Suddenly, the woman's eyes met Phoebe's, and the witch felt as if she had been caught red-handed in her thoughts. Blushing, she looked away.

Across the room, Leo was whistling merrily as he worked to fix the wall. Leo had always enjoyed working around the house, a fact that had been made obvious by his choice of cover story. However, since the Final Battle, there had been relatively few demon attacks, and the former whitelighter had found himself missing the constant repairs he had done on the house. Leo laughed aloud. His boredom was a small price to pay for the safety of his family.

Over on the couch, Coulson was finishing up his story. "After they disappeared, we reversed the spell, landed, handed over Quinn, and Paige orbed us over here."

Piper nodded, deep in thought. Biting her lip, she ran over the details in her head. It wasn't much to go her neck to look at Paige, Piper tiredly addressed her younger sister.

"Honestly, I don't think that there's much we can do tonight. I think we should set up some crystals around the house for protection and check The Book in the morning."

Immediately Paige set about her task, and Piper turned back toward Coulson.

"I know it's not much, but we can offer you the couches and the guest room for your team. Based on the demon attack we faced earlier, I think it would be safest if you guys stayed here until we know for sure that you're safe."

Reluctantly Coulson agreed, and everyone began to rise when they were distracted by a grunt from the corner. Forgotten until that moment, the captured demon stirred. Their weariness forgotten, the three sisters surrounded the crystal cage and glared downward at the prone demon. Slowly, the evil being began to rise, flinching backward when its hand came into contact with the charge surface of the cage. Slowly he looked up, his face filled with fear as he recognized his situation. Eyes flashing, Piper crossed her arms over her chest and addressed her prisoner.

"Who sent you?"


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

The demon screams that reverberated across the house sent a chill down Skye's spine. The sisters, assisted by May and Coulson, were interrogating the caged demon in the living room while the remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were getting ready for bed. Ever the gentleman, Ward had offered that the boys take the living room while the girls sleep in the guest room. Skye had rolled her eyes and Fitz had begun to complain before Ward shut him up with a glare. It had been surreal for Skye, brushing preparing for bed in a bathroom clearly decorated for children while listening to an evil supernatural being being tortured a few rooms over. Now, Skye found herself laying in a strange bed trying to wrap her mind around all that had happened in the past 24 hours. Little did she know that Simmons was having similar thoughts from her side of the queen bed. The tense, heavy silence endured until the screams died down, when Jemma could no longer contain her emotions.

"This doesn't even seem real." she blurted, her brow furrowing. In the darkened, Skye shook her head, forgetting that her teammate couldn't hear her.

"I know. I'm kinda afraid this is all some kind of crazy coma dream." Alarmed, Jemma's arm shot out and grabbed Skye buy the wrist. Again, the two girls' minds had been along the same lines, and the scientist felt that she needed a solid anchor to her friend as to ensure that she wasn't imagining the whole thing.

"Me too." Then Jemma did something unexpected: she burst out laughing. "I mean really, magic? Witches, warlocks, powers, demons, and WWII veterans coming back to life? I knew I was getting into something mad when I joined S.H.I.E.L.D., but _really_?!" This pushed Skye over the edge. She began to giggle, which grew into a full-blown chortle. Soon the two young ladies were laying in the dark and laughing uncontrollable, like pre-teens at a sleepover. After several minutes, their laughter died down and the mood was serious once again. Skye was the first to breach the silence.

"I might be one of them, you know." Jemma frowned and shifted as to face her friend, attempting to make out her expression in the darkness.

"What do you mean?" Skye exhaled, letting all of her thoughts come to the surface.

"I could be one of them. Something… supernatural." The hacker paused for a beat, gathering her thoughts. "I mean I have no idea where I come from. I-" Skye blinked hard, holding back the tears that had built up over time. She'd never had anyone who she could _really _talk to, and now that she'd found that in Jemma, she decided to just let it all out. "I'm an 084 Simmons. An object of unknown origin. This whole thing scares me so much and I… I felt something. When Paige cast her spell, I _felt something_. Like … some kind of power. I- I think I may be like them."

If the revelation had shocked Simmons at all she hid it well. She pulled Skye in for a tight hug as the hacker cried into her shoulder. When she had calmed down a bit, Skye pulled away and attempted to distance herself from the scientist. During her childhood in the foster system she had learned not to get attached to anybody or anything. Sensing her friend's intentions, Simmons gripped Skye by the shoulder and attempted to get the hacker to look her in the eye.

"Look at me. We are a _team. _No matter what happens from here, we will stand beside you. It's what we do." Skye took the message to heart and let it sink in for a moment. Maybe, just maybe, everything would stay together this time. Then, Skye was struck with a thought and her face split into a shit-eating grin.

"Stick by me huh? Like when Fitz refused to leave your side for even a second when you were infected by the floating corpse?" Skye was rewarded for her quip with a pillow being smacked into her face. The girls had another session of uncontrollable laughter before rolling over, saying their goodnights, and slipping into some well-needed sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the living room, the interrogators were not getting very far. So far the demon had said nothing of value, using his respites from the crystal cage's energy to curse the witched standing before him. Fitz and Ward had been sent off with Leo to find blankets and other necessities the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents would need during their stay at Halliwell Manor.

The boys had been about to complain about their assignment but were quickly silenced by one glare from May. Now, the two remaining agents stood back as they watched the three women before them attempt to torture information out of a demon.

If he had been told two days ago about the situation he was in now, Coulson would have told his informant that they were insane. Yet, here he was in San Francisco working with _witches _to try and bring down the Clairvoyant, who at best had some sway in the supernatural world and at worst was a Demon himself. Yes, Coulson had been around many interesting and powerful people. Hell, he'd helped to assemble the Avengers! But _no one _he'd met so far could hold a candle to this family of witches. Powers of healing, teleportation, levitation, combustion, freezing time: one of their husbands had even come back from the dead! He'd only known them for a few hours, but Coulson could tell that this was only the beginning of what the Halliwells could do.

With Thor the "magic" had all been explained by advanced alien technology. Aliens Coulson could handle. With aliens, Coulson's world view could renin in tact: he just needed to allow for the fact that there were other worlds with different rules. Now, with witches and demons apparently existing right under humanity's noses for millennia, Coulson had to rethink everything. The wall between the possible and the impossible had been shattered: ANYTHING was fair game. There were threats out there that S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't know about and couldn't handle in their wildest dreams even if they did. It was humbling really, and not in a good way. Coulson felt more exposed than he could ever remember feeling in his entire life. What good were decades of training, the best technology and weapons, bullet and had proof security and prisons if a demon could materialize out of nowhere, kill you with a flick of the wrist and a fireball, and disappear withal leaving a trace or even a body behind?

Meanwhile, May was having some thoughts of her own. She had always been good at reading people: it was the reason she herself was so unreadable. The women before her baffled her. On the surface, they appeared to be nothing special, just your average, run-of-the-mill middle-aged wives and mothers, devoted to their family and their work. But their ruthlessness in battle proved otherwise. They were a battle tested team, working together almost seamlessly. If May had heard correctly, they had been at this for over a decade. May had also seen the shadow that fell across one of the women's faces as she spoke of the past. It was obvious that with a life like this, these women would be witness to tragedy, and from that look May could tell that some of it had been personal. In a way she envied these women, these fierce warriors who were also lovers and mothers. May shook her head. They may be warriors, but they clearly had never seen nor done anything of the caliber or scale that she had done to earn and live up to her nickname 'The Cavalry'. By no means did May trust these women yet, and she kept her guard up, wary of what might happen next. But what May did know was that the Halliwell sisters had been through a lot, and they deserved the chance to prove themselves trustworthy, especially if they were going to be working together to bring down the Clairvoyant.

The two agents were jolted out of their thoughts by a bright flash of light.

"Last chance buddy. The second I unfreeze you you'll be vanquished. Any final words? Say something good and we _might _reverse the potion and let you go…" That had been Piper her hands extended toward the demon, whose body was like a snapshot, being consumed by still flames. The demon growled in response.

"It doesn't matter. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. _is _working with the Charmed Ones, they _still _won't be able to stop the Clairvoyant's plans!"

Piper smirked and unfroze the demon, who screamed in agony before disappearing in a final puff of flames. "See, that's always the problem with demons. They _always _underestimate us."


End file.
